Who Controls Your Brand's Message?

11/28/2005

A few years ago - or perhaps only a few months ago - many successful executives achieved corner office status through controlling both internal and external information. Of course there was help from an advertising and/or PR agency that crafted the clever messages.

Enter a world where blogs, podcasts, email, instant messaging and cell phones shifted the dynamics. No longer does an organization control the marketing message ... or rather perhaps I should say - no longer are smart companies under the illusion that only they control the brand image. Sidebar: Do you think a company ever really controlled the message? There was always word of mouth and reporters who spun the story.Sidebar: Of course there's a new buzz phase consumer generated media ; this one was coined by Peter Blackshaw of Intelliseek.

Every once in awhile a company gets lucky and a customer evangelist steps forth to spread the word. In U.S. News & World Report James Pethokoukis uncovers some people who are creating blogging buzz.

Our friends at McChronicles are highlighted in the article along with Sun Microsystems, Microsoft and Vespa. By the way, McChronicles recently celebrated its 10,000 visitor...as of 11/28 16,403 people had dropped in to read McChronicle's writings about McDonalds. Not too shabby for an "under the radar blog." Pethokoukis also finds that there are companies who are shivering in their corporate boots about customer evangelists.

"Many companies are still stuck in the 'pre-participation' world. It is a world where a company did careful construction of your
messaging and then got out their marketing death ray to beam that
message into the community. The thought of a space where they don't
control the message is terrifying." Simon Phipps, chief evangelist at Sun Microsystems

Can consumers and corporations work together to create strong brands/products/services that are valued by customers? Perhaps it's the season. Or maybe I ate too much pumpkin pie. But I believe that organizations can innovate and create with customers along side.